1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an embroidery data preparing device. In particular it relates to an embroidery data preparing device for collectively preparing embroidery seam (stitch) data for plural embroidery patterns of different sizes on the basis of original-picture data which are obtained by reading out an original picture pattern with an image scanner.
2. Description of Related Art
In a case where embroidery seam data, with which an original picture pattern is embroidered on an article using an industrial embroidery-sewing machine, are prepared using a conventional embroidery data preparing device, the original picture pattern having a pattern drawn thereon is read out by an image scanner connected to the embroidery data preparing device to obtain the original picture data. Then outline data of coordinate data are prepared on the basis of the original picture data thus obtained. The outline data are figure-processed to be divided into a plurality of closed areas (blocks) each of which is formed of a continuous figure, such as a triangle, a rectangle or the like, thereby obtaining intermediate embroidery data which define the plurality of blocks. Like the outline data, the intermediate embroidery data are formed of coordinate data and are stored as a file into an external storage device, such as a hard disc drive device.
The intermediate embroidery data, which are stored as a file in the hard disc drive device, are read out as the occasion demands. The intermediate embroidery data are enlarged or reduced at a magnifying power corresponding to a desired size (L, M, S or the like) of the article to be embroidered, thereby preparing enlarged (or reduced) intermediate embroidery data. The enlarged (or reduced) intermediate embroidery data are formed of coordinate data and the embroidery seam data, which comprise needle-position data of each stitch, are prepared on the basis of the intermediate embroidery data. The embroidery seam data thus prepared are transmitted to the industrial embroidery-sewing machine to perform the embroidery sewing.
When embroidery sewing is performed, plural embroidery-patterns having different sizes are generally required for even the same pattern in accordance with the portion of the article to be embroidered or the size of the article, that is, the embroidery pattern is varied in accordance with an embroidery place on the article or the article size. In the following description, embroidery patterns having different sizes means patterns which are actually embroidered on an article are different in size but identical in pattern.
For example, with respect to the embroidery place on the article, even when articles are embroidered with a pattern, the size of the embroidery pattern differs in the following cases: where the pattern is embroidered on a sleeve portion, where the pattern is embroidered on a breast pocket at a small size, where the pattern is embroidered over the whole breast portion and where the pattern is embroidered over the whole back at a large size. There are some cases where the same pattern is embroidered at plural positions on the same article and, thus, a plurality of embroidery patterns, which differ in size are required for the same pattern.
With respect to the size of the article, there are different sizes, such as L, M, and S. Accordingly, if the same pattern is required to be embroidered on articles which differ in size, the embroidery size must be varied in accordance with the size of the article. Therefore, plural embroidery patterns which are different in size are also required.
When the same pattern (based on an original picture) is embroidered at a plurality of different sizes, embroidery seam data for each size are individually required. In this case, a series of operations as described below must be repeated a number of times corresponding to the number of embroidery patterns of different sizes required. First, intermediate embroidery data for a pattern to be embroidered are read out from a hard disc drive device, and at the same time a magnifying power for enlargement or reduction of the pattern is set by an user (operator). The read-out intermediate embroidery data are enlarged or reduced on the basis of the set magnifying power to prepare enlarged (or reduced) intermediate embroidery data. On the basis of the enlarged (or reduced) intermediate embroidery data, embroidery seam data of each stitch are prepared. Therefore, there are problems that the operation of preparing the embroidery data becomes complicated and the preparation efficiency of the embroidery data is reduced.
Furthermore, like the industrial embroidery-sewing machine, a recent domestic embroidery-sewing machine allows an embroidery pattern of an original-picture pattern, drawn by an user, to be sewn on articles, such as T-shirts. The embroidery seam data on which the embroidery pattern is based are prepared by an embroidery data preparing device which is provided separately from the domestic embroidery-sewing machine. The embroidery seam data which are prepared by the embroidery data preparing device are supplied to the domestic embroidery-sewing machine by connecting the embroidery data preparing device to the domestic embroidery-sewing machine or through a storage medium, such as a flash memory card or a floppy disc. The domestic embroidery-sewing machine embroiders the embroidery pattern on the article in accordance with the supplied embroidery seam data.
On the other hand, it is unfavorable to supply intermediate embroidery data to the domestic embroidery-sewing machine as data on which the embroidery is based. This is because a lot of processing is required to convert the intermediate embroidery data to the embroidery seam data and, thus, the domestic embroidery-sewing machine, which is required to be low in price, would be overly expensive if it was provided with the function of executing such processing. Accordingly, the domestic embroidery-sewing machine is supplied with only embroidery seam data which are final data for embroidery and it is designed to perform embroidery according to the supplied embroidery seam data.
Like the industrial embroidery-sewing machine, plural embroidery patterns of different sizes are required for the same pattern when sewn by the domestic embroidery-sewing machine. For example, when the same pattern is embroidered on clothes of brothers of different ages and sizes, embroidery seam data for plural embroidery patterns differing in size are required for the same pattern. However, the data supplied to the domestic embroidery-sewing machine are the embroidery seam data as described above. Thus, the data cannot be enlarged or reduced because the embroidery seam data are stitch data for each stitch. Therefore, if embroidery seam data for different sizes are required, a series of operations from a read-out operation of reading an original picture pattern with an image scanner until an operation of preparing embroidery seam data must be repeated for every desired pattern size (i.e., the series of operations as described above must be repeated a number of times corresponding to the number of the desired different sizes). The repeated read-out work of the same pattern deteriorates the operational performance.